Improvement in the manufacture of clock-keys



a. d. cLAnK.

Manufacture of Cluck-Keys.

N0. 146,513. Patentedlan-20.l874

@f QQMW" print which projects from the cylindrical end U ITED STATESGEORGE D. CLARK, OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CLOCK-KEYS Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 146,513, dated January 20, I874; application filedDecember 15, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. CLARK, of Plainville, in the county ofHartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in the Manufacture of Glock Keys, of which the following isa specification:

In the process'employed by me the coreof the key-pattern deviates from acylindrical form, whereby the square cavity in the key is cast in acertain position relative to the flat handle, so that the square holemay be dressed by means of a punch, as hereafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side View of the key-patternand the core. Fig. 2 is an end view of said core. Fig. 3 is a'frontelevation of a key set under a punch and upon a bed in position fordressing out the square hole of the key, and Fig. 4 is an end View ofthe clock-key, and a top view-of the bed, all as employed in themanufacture of clock-keys in accordance with my inven-- tion.

Previous to my invention clock-keys have been made with the squarecavity cast therein; but the holes varied so in size that it was,necessary to assort them over or dress out the holes. Assortin g themwas quite laborious, expensive, and unsatisfactory.

. The core'print employed in casting these keys, and the part of theeoredesigned to rest in said prints imprint, were cylindrical, so thatthe square holes in the keys were formed at Various positions inrelation to the handle, which variance rendered it impracticable todress out the holes by machinery.

The part of the pattern which is above the line .10 w of Fig. 1, is thecore-print A, and the remainder is the key-pattern proper. I form thiscoreprint A cylindrical for a short dis.- tance, but the bulk of itslength I form square with the corners thereof in a certain positionrelative to the flat handle B. Other non-cylindrical forms will answerthe same purpose, such as a triangle, rhombus, &c.

v The core O has one end of a corresponding size and shape to that ofthe core-print A, and the other end is the core proper, a, which willform the square hole in the key.

In all of the cores employed the square amust be set in certain anduniform position in relation to the noncylindrical part of the core 0.

A mold is made in the ordinary manner,

the pattern and core-print, Fig. 1, is withdrawn from the mold, and thecore 0 is placed with its large end in the imprint of the print A. Themold is then filled, and as the square a of the core G can be set inonly one position i in the mold it follows that the keys, when cast,will have the sides of the square hole always in a certain and uniformposition relative to the handle B.

The core may and of any material known in the arts that will answerthepurpose.

A very good core is made of burnt sand and gum, as described in thepatent of O. D. Hunter, September 16, 1873. 7

After the keys are cast, properly cleaned, and annealed, they are placedone by one upon a bed, D, Figs. 3 and 4, of a press which carries areciprocating punch, b, of the size desired" to leave the hole in thekey.

This bed I) is of such size that the key ring or handle B may he slippedover it, and it is provided with a cavity, 0, slotted upon two oppositesides, (see Fig. 4,) which slotted cavity receives the end of key shaftand portions of its flat handle, (see Fig. 3,) so as to l J 1 hold thekey in a certain relation to the punch b as it descends into the key.

The hole in the key, as it is cast, is left so so small that the punch bwill take a thin shaving upon each of its sides, and leave the holes inthe finished keys smooth and of a uniform size.

Now, it will be seen that, if the holes. are

cast with their sides always in a certain posi tion relative to thehandle, and the handle governs the position of the key when restin g inthe bed D, the punch may be easily set so as to bring its sides parallelto the sides of the square hole in the key, and thereby PATENT @FFm A beformed in any manner goodworlgcan be rapidly done without dancasting thesquare hole in a certain position gel of breaking the punch orspoilingthe relative to the handle, and then dressing the keys. sides ofthe hole by means of a punch, all in A punch and bed similar to b I)have been the manner substantially as described.

before used for squaring round holes in clockkeys. GEO. I). CLARK.

I claim as my inveution- WVitnesses: I The improvement in themanufacture of WILLIAM S. OOWLY,

clock-keys herein described, consisting of first A. N. CLARK.

